Marking device



| c. ARGYLE 2,902,002

MARKING DEVICE Sept. 1, 1959 Filed Oct. 27, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. [5R0 Y C. Aea Y1. E

\I E E E Sept. '1, 1959 L. C. ARGYLE MARKING DEVICE Filed Oct. 27, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I [5120)64/96 YLE' V -bvq MARKING DEVICE Leroy C. Argyle, Elmira, N.Y., assignor to Corning Glass Works, Corning, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application October 27, 1955, Serial No. 543,127

4 Claims. (Cl. 118-243) while they are in an inactive position and to be ,withdrawn therefrom just preceding their movement to the marking position.

According to an alternative form of the invention the elements after being withdrawn from the marking medium, are brought into closer relation with one an other than when engaged with the marking medium to facilitate printing upon especially small articles.

For a better understanding of the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of one form of apparatus embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken generally along line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 depicting a modified form of certain parts of the apparatus.

Fig. 5 is an exploded view, on an enlarged scale, of certain of the parts appearing in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of printing medium containers of the apparatus.

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the marker shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In detail the marking system shown is embodied in a frame 11 having a lower transverse cross member 12 provided with a passage 13 through which printing or marking elements, such as 14, of a marker or marking unit embodied in a support 15 are lowered into printing relation with articles, such as 1-6, successively registered thereunder.

A marker drive shaft 21 arranged in frame 11 is adapted to be intermittently driven through the medium of a continuously driven sprocket wheel 22 and a single revolution clutch 23, each time a printing operation is to be effected, as by the momentary energization of a clutch control solenoid 24.

The marker support 15 is attached to a lower transverse member 37 of a carriage 30, and has arranged therein marking elements, such as 14 each cushioned at the top end by a spring such as 17. Carriage 30 is supported by rollers 31 and 32 carried by an upper transverse member 33 of the carriage and resting on heart shaped cams 34 and 35 arranged on shaft 21. The carriage 30 is restricted to a vertical path of travel,

United States Patent 0 by means of a guide rod 40 attached to the transverse member 33 and passing through the top member 29 of frame 11; and by rollers 43 and 44, carried by the lower transverse member 37 and occupying vertical slots 45 and 46 in frame 11. A spring 50 surrounds rod 40 and is partly compressed between members 29 and 33 to aid gravity in continuously urging the carriage 30 downwardly. With the marker inactive its elements,

such as 14, dip into marking fluids within the respective compartments, such as A, B, C, D, E, and F of adjoining containers 51 and 52 slidably arranged on transverse member 12 in bridge of passage 13.

During the first one half revolution of the heart shaped cams 34 and 35 they first raise the carriage 30 to elevate the marker elements such as 14 to an auxiliary position clear of the tops of containers 51 and 52 and then under control of such cams the carriage is lowered by gravity and spring 50 to the marking position. During the second half revolution of cams 34- and 35 they elevate the marker elements to their auxiliary position and then permit gravity and spring 50 to lower them to their initial positions.

Since the containers 51 and 52 are in the path of travel of the marker they are adapted to be laterally separated just after the marker elements are moved clear of their side walls and to be returned to their initial positions in time to receive the marker elements as they are being restored to their initial positions.

Shifting of container 51 is effected by a cam 61 (Figs. 1 and 3) and a spring 62, through the medium of a crank 63 extending between a slotted lug 53 attached to container 51 and an end of an operating shaft 64 the other end of which is keyed to a bell crank 65 (Figs. 1 and 3). The free end of one arm of bell crank 65 is coupled to one end of spring 62 while the free end of the other arm'carries a roller 66 held in engagement with cam 61 by spring 62. A corresponding linkage extends between container 52 and cam 67. To prevent solids settling out of certain marking fluids that may be employed, fixed stirring rods, such as 70 and 71 are projected down into containers 51 and 52 and effect stirring or agitating of fluids therein as such containers are laterally shifted.

The bell crank operating cams 61 and 67 are adapted to move the containers 51 and 52 clear of passage 13 after the marker elements such as 14 have been raised clear of the containers by cams 34 and 35, to maintain the containers clear of such passage until the marker elements have been lowered through the passage 13 to the printing position and again raised clear of the containers 51 and 52, and to then restore the containers just before the cams 34 and 35 complete a revolution to restore the marker to its initial position.

In the alternative type of marking arrangement illustrated in Fig. 5 the marker embodies a block 74 vertically slidable in a channel 73 of a support 75 and has marking elements, such as 76. The block 74 is slidably retained within channel 73 by means of similar brackets 82 and 83 each having stops, such as 84 and 85 adapted to restrict the distance of slidable movement of block 74 relative to the support 75, since a block portion 72 is arranged between such stops. Other marking elements, such as 79, are supported on an arm 77 pivoted at 78 so that they may be laterally displaced relative to the elements such as 76, against the action of a leaf spring Sli. The upper end of arm 77 has a cam surface 81 adapted to be acted upon by the shaft 21 as the marker is being raised or lowered. The arrangement is such that as the elements such as 76 and 79 are elevated clear of the containers 51 and 52, arm 77 is permitted to turn under the influence of spring 80 in a direction to-bring' the elements such as 79 into close proximity withtheelements such as 76 and to remain in such relationship until, following a marking operation and the return of containers 51 and 52 to their initial positions. Thereafter, the elements such as 79 are again lseparatedfrom those such as 76 just before being again loweredwinto the marking medium. ,As Will'be understood the' marking elements such as'76 and 79,- in their tmarkingpositions encounter an article to "be marked with the position 72 of support 74 in an intermediate position between stops '84 and 85. Marking pressure is thusiapplied in accordance with the combined weight of thercspective marker parts slidable in the support 75.

-Obviously, if desired the elements such as 76 or 79 can beispring cushioned within their supports .as are the elements such as 14.

What is claimed is:

.1. :In a marking system, a frame, a shaft passing horizontally through said frame, cams arranged on said shaft adapted to be rotated thereby, a carriage arranged within -said'tframe'having supporting elements resting on the .upper'surfaces of said cams, means for guiding said :carriage alonga vertical path as it is elevated and lowered under the influence of said cams, a marker supported by said carriage and movable between a marking material receiving position and an article marking posi- Etion, a marking 'mediumsupport arranged between such positions, and means for moving said support out of zthe'path of said marker during its travel between such positions.

2. .ln'aimarking'device, a group of marking medium containers, a :horizontal member upon which said conltainers are slidably supported, a group of markers which vinminactive positions engage marking mediums difierent containers of the group thereof,-mcans :for movingisaid markers between their inactive positions and active positions in a region located below the group of containers, and means for sliding the containers over 'ment' to an operative position with respect to the other such member out of the path of travel of said group of markers immediately preceding their movement toward their active positions and for returning the containers to their initial positions just before the markers complete their return to their inactive positions.

3. In a marking system, a marker having two marker elements, difierent marking medium supply sources with which said respective marker elements are normally associated, means for movingsaid elements in unison between their marking medium supply sources and a marking position,-and a cam associated with one ofsaid elements for displacing itrelative to the other during their travel between their marking medium .-supply.sources and the marking position.

4. A marking device such as defined by claim 3, wherein the supply sources for the marking medium comprise two containers two of whose opposite side walls adjoin one another and wherein said means for automatically displacing one of said elements includes a first device that always tends to displace said one eleelement'and a second device-that is operable to overcome the effect of such first'deviceand to displacesaid element in the reverse direction to enable said elements to straddle such side walls upon their return to their initial position.

References Cited in the-file of this patent '"UNITEDLSTATES PATENTS 449,309 Burton Mar. 31,1891 620,981 Severin Mar. 14, 1899 1,183,547 Folger-et al. May 16, 1916 1,808,812 Glass June 9, 1931 2,431,135 -Morse NOV. 18, 1947 2,432,081 Bartholomew Dec. 9, 1947 2,654,459 Connolly Oct. '6, 1953 2,678,626 Garvey May 18,1954 

